


and i could belong

by Overdressedtokill (SkyeStan)



Series: Killers for Hire (SkyeWard AU) [15]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Killers for Hire, flashback episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:46:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4540311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyeStan/pseuds/Overdressedtokill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a killers for hire flashback. pre-episode 1 (<a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1671134">the devil’s knocking</a>). skye realizes the only solution to all of her weird feelings is simple: she just has to kill grant ward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	and i could belong

The idea comes to her as she’s brushing her teeth.

All her best ideas do.Okay.No.All her best ideas come to her while she’s peeing.But she’s in a bathroom, so the sentiment is the same.

There’s this hickey on her collarbone that’s about three days old.It’s greenish in the center, fading into yellow on the edges.

She brushes her fingers against it.It’s gross.She definitely thinks it’s gross.Not cute.She’d told him not to mark up her neck.And did he listen? No.Grant never listened to her.

He was always in the way! Just standing there, affably handsome and dense as hell, gun cocked at his side.

God, he’s so hot.

But that doesn’t matter!It doesn’t, because he’s terrible.She’s decided.Grant is terrible.He never listens, he kisses too hard, and he’s always in her goddamn way.

She has to solve this the way she solves all her other problems.

She has to kill him.It’s the only way. 

 

 

And the thing is, it’s even personal.It’s just like, good business sense.They keep bumping into each other.Sort of.Could she call it bumping?It’s more like colliding.They keep slamming into each other.Against walls, in cars, on floors.Rest stop bathrooms, more often then she wanted to admit.

So that’s the point: If she’s fucking Grant, she’s not racking up her kill count.And if she’s not out there, taking murders for money, then she is going to wind up flat fucking broke.

Business sense.

She’s so good at this.She could probably start her own agency, if she wanted.And then she wouldn’t have to give part of her paycheck up, and she could get that car she’s always wanted.And some new boots.Two pairs of new boots!

Her life is going to get so much better.All she has to do is take her fuckbuddy out, and she will be rolling in money.

That’s the dream.

She smiles at her reflection.Picks up her gun.She looks so good holding a gun.So damn good.She faux-fires at the mirror, making the appropriate ‘pew! pew!’ noises as she does.

 

 

She’s good at her job.

Which is probably why Grant’s so weirdly obsessed with her.Because he’s jealous of how much better she is.It’s not her fault! She didn’t ask to be super hot.And smart.And good with firearms.

She’s like a triple-threat that actually matters.

And Grant’s just got this fucking attitude about it.Like that nickname he gave her? ‘Kid?’ Like she’s so much less mature than he is? Not the case.

Or the fact that he laughs at her.All the time.Can’t he take anything seriously? What the fuck is his problem?She’s the immature one but he’s literally had beer come out of his nose from laughing so hard.

And yeah, that was super painful for him afterwards, but that’s not her fault!

You know what? She doesn’t care.Not her problem.He’s gonna be dead, and she’s gonna say something totally witty, like, ‘Who’s laughing now?’

It’s not a perfect comeback.It’s a work in progress.

 

 

Other thing: it’s really, scary easy to kill Grant.Or at least, she knows how she’s going to do it like, immediately.And she figures pretty much anyone could figure it out, since his cover’s always shit and his guns are too loud.

And she’s got a knack for pinpointing his cell phone.

But he shouldn’t even have a cell phone on him to begin with! Or a scrambled communicator.Whatever it is.It’s super easy to find on her phone, which is the point.

Anyone could shoot him through the head, is what she’s saying.

Which makes her furious.Because no one deserves to kill him like she does.Not that she’s aware of anyone wanting to try.It’s the principle of it.

It’s funny.In an actually funny sense, and not in a Grant laughing at her sense.He’s always made fun of her aim.

But she’s gonna get him.She’s gonna get him so damn good.

\--

 

 

She adjusts her position in the crawlspace, and wonders if she’s making a mistake.

Not going after Grant.That’s not a mistake.That’s a GREAT IDEA.

She’s more thinking about the target below, and the bounty on his head.

If she postpones her original plan, she could wind up 100k richer.

But if she postpones it now, she’ll probably find reasons to keep postponing it.And that’s unacceptable.

She’s already got him in her sight.She’d figured out where he would set up hours ago.She knows him.She knows the kind of vantage he likes.What gun he brings to the rodeo.Assassination.Assassination rodeo, whatever.

She stares at his smug, stupid face through her scope for a moment longer before cursing.He’s standing right by the window.Like an idiot!She pulls out her cellphone.

She goes back to watching him as his phone rings.He checks his phone, and smiles.So expectant.So goddamn sure of himself.“Hey kid,” he says.“You in town?”

“Maybe,” Skye says.Clicks off the safety.This is so easy.He doesn’t suspect a thing.“Have you missed me, baby?”

“Nah,” he says.She watches him balance the phone on his shoulder.Pick up his gun to inspect the barrel.“Not that kind of guy.”

“Please,” she says.“If you didn’t, why even bother asking if I did?”

“I know you like to pine for me,” he says, putting the gun back down.“Understandable.I am worth pining over.”

“You’re so full of shit,” she says.

“You can’t get enough of me,” he teases.“Did you follow me from the last time we hooked up, or something?”

She frowns.“No,” she says.

“It’s okay if you did,” he says.“I think it’s cute.”

“I’m not that younger than you,” she says.“And I’m not following you.”

He laughs.He has the raw nerve to laugh as she’s pointing her sniper right at his big dumb head.“Okay, kid.If you say so.”

“Shut up,” she says.

“So does this call mean you want to meet up later?” he asks.“Because following or no following, I think we both know that you love my-”

She pulls the trigger.

 

 

She can hear the bullet explode on Grant’s end of the line.

“What the fuck?!” Grant yells.

She’d missed.She’d gotten the wall behind him.Which is fine!“Warning shot,” she says.

He turns to look at the bullet hole in the wall.Then looks back to the window.It takes him seconds to figure out where she is.

She hates his guts.But he can be a damn good sniper. Sometimes.He takes his phone off his shoulder.Holds it to his ear.And stares right at her.“Are you trying to shoot me in the head, Skye?”

“Yep,” she says.

He blinks. “Why?”

Why? What kind of question even is that? “Because I want to,” she says.“That’s why.”

“Ah,” he says.“Right. Of course.”

“Because shut up!” she adds.

“I mean, you could’ve taken another shot by now,” he says.He waves.He fucking waves! Like he’s just so amused by this!“I’m right here, and you’ve got the loaded gun.”

“I am going to take another shot!” she says.“Right now.”

He smirks.“Go ahead.”

“I’m trying to kill you!” she says.

“Okay,” he says.“If that’s what you’re calling it.”

“Why are you the worst?!” she yells.

“Are you going to shoot me or not?” he says.“I’m waiting.”

“Fuck you,” she says.

“Fuck you right back,” he says.He hasn’t stopped smirking.He’s gotten worse.He’s grinning.

She fires again.

 

 

“You’re not even trying,” he says.“Unless your goal is actually to give me tinnitus.In which case, good job.”

She swears a blue streak.

Which just makes him laugh.Out loud, hunched over.His shoulders are shaking.“I’ve always said you were a shit shot.”

“I’m not!” she says.“My gun misfired.”

“Or,” he says.“You don’t want to kill me at all, and you’re just being dramatic because that’s what you do.”

“No,” Skye says.“No, idiot.I do want to kill you.”

“Well, you missed twice,” he says.“And I doubt you’ve bothered to reload in the time we’ve been talking, right?”

She nibbles her lip.“I hate you.”

“Yeah,” he says.“Sure you do.”

“Just stay there while I reload,” she says.

“Eh,” he replies.“I don’t think so.”

“Grant!” she says.“You have to wait.”

“For you to actually get the balls to shoot me?” he says.“Not happening.”

“Don’t ruin this for me!”

He flips her off, smiling smugly all the while.“You blew my cover and cost me one hundred thousand dollars,” he says.“So I’m really not inclined to help you.”

She reaches for her bullets.“Grant!”

“Catch you around, kid,” he says.“You should learn to reload faster.”

He clicks off his phone and mimes a kiss at her.

“Motherfucker,” she hisses.

He grabs his gun and moves out of sight.

She slams her hand on the floor.“Double motherfucker!” she yells.“Cock-sucking son of a bitch!”She grabs her gun and starts disassembling it as fast as she can.

If he thinks he can get away from her, he’s got another thing coming.

 

\--

 

 

She commandeers a motorcycle.And she almost crashes it twice, but that’s low for her.So she’s calling that a success.

She knows his closest safehouse.And she knows he’s probably waiting for her.Maybe naked, sitting on his bed.She’ll come in and he’ll give her a lazy grin.“You call that foreplay?” he’ll say.

She adjusts herself on the bike seat.Is she really fantasizing about him right now? Unacceptable! This is why he won’t take her seriously.Because she’s trying to kill him and all she can think about is his stupid penis!

And he’s a jerk, with a jerk-face.That’s also why he won’t take her seriously.

This is a completely legit plan.She’s 100% prepared to kill him.

And he’d flipped her off, so she’s pretty peeved about that.

She parks in the back alley behind his building and hops onto the fire escape.

 

 

The window’s unlocked.

She hates his fucking guts.

He knows! He knows she’s coming to get him, and he’s just left the window unlocked.

He’s never going to take her seriously.He’s never going to see her as a real threat.

She breaks the window on principle, and then opens it.Fucking shithead.Like he’s going to get away with giving her the easy way in.

He’s standing right by the window, anyway.Arms crossed, back against the wall.

He should probably be smoking right now.But he hates smoking indoors.

“You know I left it open, right?”

Skye puts one leg into his safehouse.Tucks her body under the windowframe.Pulls in her other leg.“Fuck you.”

“You’re welcome,” he says.“I mean, you’re welcome I even bothered to meet up with you, after what you just pulled.”

“You know what?” Skye says, slamming the window shut.Her boots are digging into broken glass.“Don’t do me any favors.”

“What the hell is your problem?” he says.“Like, what did I do?”

“Seriously?” Skye says.“Is that a serious question?”

“Considering that you shot at me?” he says.“Yeah.”

“If it’s so serious,” Skye says.“Then why can’t you take me seriously?”

He frowns.He’s a pretty frowner, she notices.

No! Bad! Focus on the task at hand.“Answer the question.”

“I do take you seriously,” Grant says.“Why would you think-”

“You treat me like a child,” she says. 

“I’m-” He rubs the back of his neck.“I’m just teasing, Skye.”

“You’re not,” she says.“You think I’m bad at my job.You think I’m a joke.”

“I don’t.”

She huffs.“Liar.”

He lets out a noise of frustration.“Do you have it in your head that I think this, or something?What is up your ass?”

“What’s up your ass?” she snaps.

“You, apparently,” he says.

“I shot at you,” she says.“And you still think I’m a joke.”

“I don’t think you’re a joke!” Grant says.“What the fuck, Skye?Is that why you’re doing this-” He gestures at her.“Trying to kill me thing?”

“See!” she says.“Right there.You’re doing it right now!”

“You’re being petulant,” he says.“And over-sensitive.”

“Did you read a book recently?” Skye says.“I hope you didn’t hurt yourself.”

“Okay you know what?” he says.“How the fuck can you say I don’t take you seriously when you think I’m a literal moron?”

“Because you are a moron!”

Oops.She- She regrets yelling that.

His expression changes.Darkens.“Tell you what,” he says.“I’ve got a gun in the bedroom.You get to it, you can take a shot.”

“Don’t test me,” Skye says.

“I’m not testing you,” he says.“I’m just being a fucking moron.”

 

 

She’s not going to stand here and argue with him.She’s not, because that would be stupid.And unlike them.And whatever hurt feelings he’s got right now-

Well.She doesn’t care.She doesn’t!And he called her oversensitive.

Like they’re not equally dense and selfish.It’s what makes them work!And also, fuck this.Fuck all of this.She is going for that gun.

She makes it to the doorway.

And then he’s behind her.Grabbing her by the waist.He lifts her off the ground while she kicks her legs.

“Come on,” he says.“Don’t make this easy for me.”

She reaches back and grabs his ear.Pulls with the full intent to pull it off.

That works.“Fuck!”

Her boots hit the ground, and she’s almost through the door-

“OW!” she yells, as he wrenches a hand through her hair.

“Nope,” he says.“No, fuck you.”

“Fuck you!” she says.She stomps backwards.Just manages to get his big toe.

“Shit!” he says.“Shit, that really hurt!”

“Good!” she says.

She’s in the bedroom.She’s in the bedroom, and the gun is on the nightstand.So if she can just-

 

 

He tackles her onto his bed.

“Get off me!” she says.It’s muffled by the mattress.

She wriggles her ass against him. “Stop,” he says.“Stop.Let’s just...take a chill pill.”

She jerks her head into his chin.

Which hurts her head more than it hurts his chin.That thing is fucking rock solid.

So she goes back to squirming on the bed.“I’ll chill your pills,” she hisses.

“Skye, that doesn’t even make sense.”

“Just let me go!” she says.

“Not until you tell me what’s wrong!” he says.

She thrashes.“Get off of me right now!”

“You’re being childish!” he says.“You’re never like this, Skye.What the hell?”

“You’re ruining my life,” she says.“You’re taking my jobs and you-” He makes her care.He makes her feel.He makes her sad when he’s not around.“You’re ruining me, Grant.”

She feels him go still.“I-” He moves off of her.“I didn’t mean to.”

She could get off the bed right now and go for the gun.She could.

She rolls onto her back.Stares at the ceiling.“I think I like you.”

“What?”

“I think I like you,” she repeats.“Like you like you.”

“You have feelings for me?” he asks.

She sighs.“Maybe.”

“So you tried to kill me,” he says.

“Yep,” she says.

“That’s psychotic,” he says.

She manages a shrug.“That’s me.”

When did she get this tired?She could fall asleep right now, probably.Her limbs feel so heavy.She feels kind of sick.

“Do you actually want me dead?” he asks.

“No.”

“Okay,” he says, laying down beside her.“Okay, then.”

“I don’t feel so good,” she says.

“Guilt?” he asks.

“No,” Skye says.She’s quick to snuggle against his chest.“Yes.I don’t know.”

He strokes her hair.It’s uncharacteristically sweet of him.“It’s okay,” he says.Kisses her head.“You’re okay.”

“I’m not,” she says.

“Just lay here with me,” he says.“It’s okay.You’ll see.”

“It’s not okay,” Skye says.

“Yes it is,” he says.“It’s fine.”

This is wrong.This is so wrong.This isn’t how it works.It’s not supposed to be like this.

She rests her head against his collarbone.Closes her eyes.

“Don’t try to kill me again, please,” he says.“And I can stop calling you kid, if you want.”

When did he get so nice? She didn’t even know he came with that setting.“No, baby,” she says.“It’s fine.I like it.”

“You sure?” he says.

She nods.

“Do you want to take a nap?” he says.

“Yeah,” she replies.

He wraps himself around her.It’s the closest they’ve ever been while still fully clothed.“Okay,” he says.Kisses her temple.“I’ll be here.”

That just might be the problem.

\--

 

 

She sleeps for longer than she meant to.She wakes up with Grant still curled around her.

That feeling in her stomach is anxiety.Nerves? Dread?She doesn’t know.

She rolls away from him, already missing the feeling of him beside her.

Which is pathetic. And weak. And gross.

She crawls across the bed to the nightstand, where he keeps his gun.It’s just sitting there.And she doesn’t know what she’s going to do when she gets her hands on it.

But she needs to get her hands on it.For reasons.

She wraps her hand around the grip and picks up the gun.

It’s... light.

It’s unloaded.And she’s got zero idea where the ammo is.

He- He left the gun unloaded on purpose.He thought she might actually try to kill him.

He takes her seriously after all.

She swallows.“Grant,” she says, wondering if he’ll wake up.

He doesn’t.

She slowly puts the gun back down.She has to go.She can’t spend the night.Not after this.

They napped together.That’s crossing a line.

She absentmindedly touches Grant’s hair.Traces her fingers along his cheekbone.

He’s so... confusing.

She doesn’t like confusing.But she doesn’t want him dead.

“Sorry,” she says, without really knowing if she means it.

 

 

She leaves through the broken window.

 

 


End file.
